Burden of Leprosy Disabilities in Rural India

Leprosy Mailing List – February 19th, 2008

Ref.: Burden of Leprosy Disabilities in Rural India
From: Ganapati R., Mumbai, India


Dear Dr Noto,

The journey towards ‘World Without Leprosy’, punctuated by 17th International Leprosy Congress assumed special importance with the deliberations on ‘post-elimination’ problems and human rights issues at the recently concluded Congress in Hydeabad.

I presented the results of a study which revealed an abnormal load of visible disabilities due to leprosy in an adopted rural population adjoining Bombay (Ref: ILC Abstract book, O-195, p. 137). The prevalence rate of disabilities was 27 per 10,000 (figures updated). Doorstep POD services to over 400 leprosy-disabled are being offered by rural volunteers through donations raised by the Bombay Leprosy Project, as the govt. presumably is slowly getting aware of the gravity of the problem.

I was however, surprised at the stunning silence of the enlightened audience which consisted of epidemiologists, POD experts, surgeons, human right activists and leprologists besides the programme manager of the govt. of India. The fact that there were no questions or comments implied that either the experts took such a phenomenon for granted on they had no comments as the situation was beyond redemption.

The study raised the question of how PHCs, in an integrated set up will help to reach the utopian goal of ‘World Without Leprosy’ which is the theme of the Congress, besides meeting the ‘human rights’ of the patients. The four PHCs under investigation faced an astonishing disability load ranging from 23.7 to 35.2 per 10,000 population. This issue assumes special significance, as several sessions in Hyderabad, unlike the previous ILCs addressed in particular the human rights of persons affected by Leprosy.

Regards

Dr R Ganapati
Director Emeritus, Bombay Leprosy Project